Automatic weft-replenishing loom.



A. E. RHOAIJES.

AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. 1915.

1 2i QAGQ. Patented Jan. 16, 1917 4- SHEET$SHEET I. Q KE I 710(97660 I". i l/021920 rEjdhoadcs.

AJE. RHOADES.

AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATlON FILED 0011111915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 171/0 672/1507". fimcza Zifiiiwaafca A. E. RHOADES.

AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11, I9l5.

Patent-ed Jah.16,1917.

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4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fmogo l b a e- 7060 71' 12607 20 1. Rhoadea A. E. RHOADES AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11, 1915.

Patented Jan 16, 191?.

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ALONZO E. EHGADES, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- IKENTS, TO DRAPEB CORPORATION, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION-OF IEALIYE,

AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. in, ism.

To all 20.7mm it may concern Be it known that I, ALoxzo E. Ruoanns, a resident of Hopedale, -in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements inv ltutomatic lVeft-Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification.

In looms of the Northrop type as exemplified, for example, by United States Let ters Patent of Northrop No. 520,940, November 27, 1894) wherein weft replenishment is effected by ejecting the spent or nearly spent weft carrier from the shuttle and inserting a full weft carrier in the shuttle, a rotary hopper or magazine has been employed at the replenishing side of the loom in which a set of full weft carriers is inserted. with the butt ends of the weft carriers at the inner side of the magazine and with the tips of the weft carriers at the outer side of the magazine. The weft ends extending from the weft carriers in the magazine have been attached to weft end holders outside of the magazine and farther away from the cloth than the magazine itself. The result has been that when a weft carrier has been transferred to the shuttle and the shuttle has been picked toward the detecting side of the loom a long end of weft extends from the weft end holder to the neighboring selvage of the cloth. It has been customary to cut. automatically this weft end close to the selvage thus leaving a long loose end attached at its outer end to the weft end holder, a, cutter for this purpose being'shown, for example, in United States Letters Patent of D1 per and Stimpson No. 585,405, June 2.), 180i. This loose weft end hangs down close to the picker at the replenishing side of the loom where it is subject to the action of the lay and sometimes a loose weft end gets entangled among the warp tln-ezulscausing a blemish in the cloth unless it can be renioveiil by hand.

.l t is also customary in weft replenishing lo'oms of the type under consideration to provide detecting mechanism which detects oproaching exhaustion of the running and which sets the replei'iishing mechai into action to rhangc weft carriers be- .jihe running weft is entirely exhausted, r) enabling perfect cloth to be woven a there wi l be no defective'or absent pin s from the cloth in example of such detecting mechanism is disclosed in United States Letters Patent of Roper No. 821,123, May 1006. lV hen such detecting mechanism is employed, the nearly spent weft carrier is ejected from theshutt-le while its weft extends from the eye of the shuttle to the fell of the cloth. This is a long stretch of weft because the eye of the shuttle is necessarily located near the end of the shuttle,

most remote from the warp threads in the case of magazines which have their weft carrier butt holders on the inside nearest the warp. A spent weft thread cutter is c0mmonly employed in such looms (as shown, for example, in United States Letters Patent of Northrop and Stimpson No. 641,792, January 23, 1900) and, when the nearly spent weft carrier is ejected it is expected that its weft end will'be drawn out from the eye of the shuttle. It occasionally happens, however, that this is not accomplished and, consequently, when the fresh: weft car rier is inserted in the shuttle and'is threaded in the eye thereof, there will be two threads in the eye and both threads are sometimes carried into the shed, the thread from the ejected spent weft carrier unwinding therefrom. This results in a defect in the cloth. This failure of the end of the spent weft to be drawn from the shuttle is attributable to the thread being nipped somewhere between the front wall of the shuttle and the front wall of the shuttle box since the thread extending from the warp to the eye of the shuttle may not always lie in the longitudinal groove in the front wall of the shuttle which is provided for the accommodation of this portion of the weft thread.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the stated defects. This object is ac complished by providing a magazine in which the spare filled weft carriers are inserted with their butts at the outside of the magazine and their tips inside nearer the warp. Weft end" holders for the weft carriers in the magazine are located between the i 7 magazine and-the warp so that, when a filled weft carrier is transferred to the shuttle}v a weft end of minimum length is left be tween the weft end holder and the cloth. Only a short loose end is left when the thread is cut near the selvage by the usual weft cutter, and this end is so short that it can not be caught by any moving part of the loom. The loose Weft end remains seshuttle and the front wall cured to the weft end holders until re-. moved by hand. The Weft thus wasted is very small in quantity as compared with that Wasted in prior looms of this type, and thissaving is of consequence in the case of expensive yarns.

A shuttle is employed which is properl constructed to receive the newly located weft carriers and it necessarily has its eye and threading end near the warp and its weft carrier holding end remote from the warp when the shuttle is at the replenishing side of the loom. This brings the eye of the shuttle near the selvage and, as the eye is commonly located at the place where the shuttle begins to taper, there is no possibility of the weft end being nipped between the of the shuttle box. This is important where the change of weft carriers occurs before the running weft is entirely exhausted. The spent weft is cut close to the point of the shuttle and hence only a short length of Weft has to be pulled through the eye when the nearly spent weft carrier is ejected. There is no danger of this short Weft end being nipped and, therefore, the Weft end is invariably withdrawn from the shuttle and there is'no possibility of any defects in the cloth caused by double threads in a single shed.

The location of the shuttle in the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom with its eye end toward the Warp involves special threading devices to bring a fresh weft end within the control of the automatically threading devices of the shuttle; and a particular construction of threading mechanism is required in the shuttle used. These characteristics are embodied in the present invention.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Wherein Figure l, is a plan view of the replenishing mechanism at the replenishing side of the loom, the magazine and weft end holder support being shown in horizontal section. is a vertical longitudinal section, the upper portions of the magazine and weft end holder support being broken away to facilitate illustration on a large scale. Fig. 3, is a cross section in the plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a cross section in the plane indicated by. the .line 44, in Fig. 2, the upper portion. of the magazine and weft end holder support being broken away. Fig. 5, is a detailed section in the plane indicated by the line 55, in Fig. 1. Fig. (l, is a plan view of the threading end of the shuttle.

The magazine or hopper for the spare weft carriers comprises a circular head A, with sockets a, to receive the butts of weft carriers B, and a circular disk C, having grooves b, to receive the tips of the weft carits outer end, a bracket F, portion G, of

a horizontal spindle E.

fastened to the breast beam I, of the loom.

Between the tip holding disk C, and the warp is the weft end holder annular support J, which is also secured to the hollow shaft D, so as to rotate therewith. This support has a plurality of weft end holders. in accordance with the illustrated arrangement there is one holder for two weft ends.

Each holder, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, comprises a resser 'K, which, as shown, is in the shape of a hollow cup with its edge seated in a recess (l, in the support J, and pressed outwardly by a spring 6. A circular disk L, is formed with a plurality of 'pro ect1ng arms M.

This disk L, is bolted to the inner face of the support J, with one of its arms M, outside one of the pressers K. Each presser K, .is pressed against the overlying face of the arm M, thereby pinching any thread which placed. between. Each presser is centrally maintained in place by an external projection entering a central hole in the overlying arm M, as shown in Fig. 2. The manner in which a weft end of a spare filled weft carrier B, held in place is illustrated in Fig. 2. The weft end N, is led from its weft carrier over the edge of the disk (I, thence inwardly over the edge of the support- J and in a notch f, in said edge and thence the free end is passed between. one of the pressers K, and the oven lying arm M, of one of the thread holes. Projecting pins ,7, on the disk (3. and pro jecting lugs 72., on. the inner face of the sup" port J, aid in maintaining the weft ends properly in place. 7

As the drawings show, the magazine and weft end holders are so organized that the thread holders are nearest the n'iiddle of the loom, the head A, of. the magazine which holds the butts at the outside of the loom,

and the disk (1, which supports the tips of the weft carriers is located between the head A. and the support 5. so that the tip ends of the weft carriers are toward the middle of the loom and hence toward the warp. The spare weft carriers are inserted one by one, in accordance with the demands of the loom, into "the shuttle, and the magazine is fed forwardly, by instrumentalities which are analogous to those heretofore employed excepting that they are organized. so as to cooperate with the novel arrangement of the magazine and the spare weft carriers.

In the present constructions there is a stationary spindle O, which is fixed at its opposite ends to the frame G, and bracket H, as shown in Fig. 1. A hollow shaft P, turns on this spindle O. To this shaft is fastened the hub i, of the transferrer Q. The transferrer Q, normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 3, with its ejector R, just above the butt of the lowermost weft carrier in the magazine. Pivoted at 7', to the lower arm of the transferrer is the usual transferrer dog is. l Vhen a change of weft carriers is to be effected the transferrer dog 73, is automatically lifted into the path of bunter Z, on the lay S, and, then, on, the advance of the lay, the transferrer is rocked and the lowermost weft carrier B, in the magazine is inserted intothe shuttle T, and the spent or nearly spent weft carrier in the shuttle is ejected. When the lay re treats the transferrer is elevated by he spring m, Fig. 1.

During the transfer of the filled weft carrier, its butt end is guided and supported beneath by the yielding swinging finger n, pivotally supported upon a fixed bracket 0, (Figs. 1 and 2) which is fastened to the frame work G. The tip end of the weft carrier being transferred is supported o the yielding tip support 79, (Figs. 1, 2, a 5) which is pivotally mounted upon a bracket (7, which is fast on a pin 9*, which is secured to the loom frame.

T he lowermost weft carrier in the magazine is maintained in transferring position by a stationary stop 8, (Fig. 3) which is' fastened to the bracket 0. The spare weft carriers at the descending side of the magazine are prevented from accidentally falling out by means of a curved guard t, which is carried by the bracket 0, and extends inwardly beyond the head A, of the magazine as illustrated in Fig. 1, far enough to guard the butts of the weft carriers.

The magazine is rotated by the means shown in Fig. 3. A feed dog '16, is pivoted to the transferrer Q, and cooperates with a toothed rack '0, on the head A. When the transferrer descends this dog tooth brought into register with the next succeeding tooth of the rack o, and when the transferrer ascends the dog tooth engages this rack tooth and feeds the magazine forwardly. A detent Q0, is pivoted at w, to a portion of the bracket 0, and prevents backward {rotation of the magazine. Both the feed dog and the detent can be moved forwardly by hand out of the way of the rack a, when it is desired to turn the magazine by hand.

When the shuttle T, is in the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom, as shown in Fig. 2, its eye y is at the inner end of the shuttle; and the end of the shuttle which carries the devices for holding onto the butt of the weft carrier is at the outer end of the lay and next to the picker.

It is obvious that such a shuttle cannot be automatically threaded as the result of the passage of the shuttle back and forth through the shed as in the usual Northrop or Draper loom. Provision is therefore made to insure the automatic threading of the shuttle when thus positioned. As shown in Fig. 4, a thread placer U, is employed which is secured at its upper end to an arm V, which is fast on the hollow shaft P, to

which the transferrer is secured. This thread placer is located between the did; U,

and the support J, as shown in Fig. l, and it is normally in its elevated position shown in Fig. 4:, with its notched lower end just above the-weft end of the lowermost weft carrier in the magazine where said weft end N, extends from the rim of the disk C, to its notch in the rim of the support J. When the transferrer descends to transfer the lowermost weft carrier from the magazine into the shuttle the thread placer likewise descends as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, thereby carrying the weft end downwardly into that portion of the chamber of the shuttle, illustrated at 2, in Figs. 2 and 6, which is between the tip end of the bobbin and the automatic threader of the shuttle. The arm V,'carries a thread finger (Fig. 1) which is so located relatively to the shuttle box that it isin a vertical plane between the eye of the shuttle and the warp, and hence between the eye and the neighboring tip of the shuttle. Vi hen the arm V, descends, at the time of the transfer, this thread finger W, likewise descends upon the weft end N, which extends between the disk C, and support J, and carries said thread downwardly close to the top of the shuttle. The top of the shuttle boii is cut away, as shown at 10, in Fig. 2', to permit this descent of the thread finger W.

The illustrated shuttle has an automatic threader of well known character being, in its automatic features, similar to the threader set forth in United States Letters Patent of Stimpson No. 933,728, September 7, 1909, excepting that it has, in addition, a. supplementary forwardly extending hook X, immediately above the entrance to the longitudinal thread passage 11, of the threader; the point of this hook extends into a recess in the rear wall 12,-of the thre'ader; and the overhanging guar Y, does not extend toward the weft carrier as far as heretofore. This improved. shuttle is set forth more fully in application for Let tens Patent, of the United States iile'd. Octoher 12,1915," Serial No. 55,392. When the weft end is thrust down into the shuttle cha ber 2. by the thread placer U, it is thr st between the said hook X, and the re 3 wall 12, of the thread passage and the its reeves over the hook p 11. This action the support J,

placer descends far enough, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, to carry the weft end below the hook X, into the thread passage is facilitated by the circumstance that the thread finger W, holds the weft end far enough down and in and sufficiently close to the top of the shuttle so that the descent of the thread carry the weft end into place. partly threads the shuttle but sufficiently for the first flight of the shuttle to the detect-' ing end of the lay. During this flight the weft unwinds from the weft carrier and X. 011 the return flight of'the shuttle from the detecting to the replenishing side of the loom the weft is threaded through the automatic threader in the usual way excepting with greater certainty on account of the circumstance that the hook X, maintains the weft in the thread passage 11. Then on the third flight of theshuttle, that is again toward the detecting side of the loom, the threading of theshuttie is finished.

As shown in Fig. 1, the eye 3 of the shuttle is located at the tapering portion of the shuttle so that the body of the shuttle does not here contact with the front wall of the shuttle 'bOX, and, consequently, the thread is not in danger of being nipped. The shuttle eye, when the shuttle is in this'position, is close to the warp and to the usual spent weft cutter (not shown) so that only a short end of weft has to'be drawn out through the eye as the spent weft carrier is ejected and falls into the usual receptacle beneath.

Likewise, there is only a short distance from the lowermost weft end holder K, on to the neighboring selvage so that only a short end is left hanging from the weft end holder when the fresh weft is cut at the selvage of the cloth. I

1. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine having a head provided with sockets to receive the butts of the weft carrierS and a disk provided with yielding holders to retain the tips of weft carriers, said disk be ing between said head and the warp; a rotatable support rotating with said maga-' zine and having weft end holders for the This only weft .ends of the weft carriers in the magapositions; a transferrer zine, said support being between the said disk and the warp; thread guides carried by said disk and support for the weft ends placer will surely whereby said weft ends are held in definite to transfer .the weft carr ers one by one from said magazine to the working shuttle; and a thread placer and finger movable with said transferrer and normally located above the weft end extending from the lowermost weft carrier in the magazine and between the said disk and support, said thread placer being adapted to enter the chamber in the shuttle between the Weft carrier therein and the threading end of the shuttle when said shuttle is at the replenishing side of the loom, and said thread finger being adapted to descend above the shuttle and v downwardly between the eye of the shuttle and the warp.

2. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine having a head provided with sockets to receive the butts of the weft carriers, and a disk provided with yielding holders to retain the tips of the weft carriers, said disk being between said head and the warp; a rotatable support having weft end'holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said support being between the said disk and the warp; a transferrer to transfer the weft carriers one by one fromsaid magazine to the working shuttle; and a thread placer and finger movable with said transferrer and normally located above the weft end extending from the lowermost weft carrier in the magazine and between the said disk and support, said thread placer being adapted to-enter the chamber in the shuttle between the weft carrier therein and the threading end of the shuttle when said shuttle is at the replenishing side of the loom, and said thread finger being adapted to descend above the shuttle and to hold the weft end downwardly between the eye of the shuttle and the warp.

3. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine having an outer head provided with socketsto receive the butts of the weft carriers, and an inner disk provided with yielding holders to retain the tips of the weft carriers, said disk being between said head and the warp; a rotatable support rotating with said magazine and having weft end holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said support being between the said disk and the warp; and thread guides carried by said disk and support for the weft ends whereby said weft ends are held in definite positions.

4. A weft replenishing loom having, inj combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine having an outer head provided with sockets to receive the butts of the weft car'- riers, and an inner disk provided with yielding holders to retain the tips of the weftcarriers, said disk being betweensaid head and the warp; and a rotatable support rotating with said magazine and having weft end holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said support being between the said disk and the warp.

to hold the weft end 5. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine having an outer head provided ,with sockets to receive the butts of the weft carriers, and an inner disk provided with yielding holders to retain the tips of the weft carriers, said disk being between said head and the warp; and a rotatable support having weft end holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said support being between the said disk and the warp.

6. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine holding the butts of the weft carriers on its one side with the'tips of the weft carriers extending toward the warp; a rotatable support rotating with said magazine and having weft end holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said sup port being between the tips of the bobbins and the warp; a transferrer to transfer the weft carriers one by one from said magazine to the working shuttle; and a thread placer normally located above the weft end extending from the lowermost weft carrier in the magazine to its holder and between the tip of the lowermost bobbin and said holder, said thread placer being adapted to enter the chamber in the shuttle between the weft carrier therein and the thread end of the shuttle when said shuttle is at the replenishing side of the loom.

7. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine holding the butts of the weft :arriers on its outer side with the tips of the weft carriers extending toward the warp; a rotatable support having weft end holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magaz ne, said support being between the tips of the bobbins and the warp a transferrer to transfer the weft carriers one by one from said magazine to the working shuttle; and a thread placer normally located above the weft end extending from the lowermost weft carrier in the magazine to its holder and between the tip of the lowermost bobbin and said holder, said thread olacer being adapted to enter the chamber in the shuttle between the weft carrier therein and the thread end of the shuttle when said shuttle is at the replenishing sideof the loam.

8. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine holding the weft carriers with their tips extending toward the warp; a rotatable support having weft end holders for the Weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said support being between the tips of the bobbins and the warp; a transferrer to transfer the weft carriers one by one from in the shuttle between the weft carrier therein and the thread end of the shuttle when said shuttle is at the replenishing side of the loom.

1 A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to i'olltzlill lillcd weft carriers, said magazine holding the weft carriers with their tips extending toward the warp; a rotatable support having weft end holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said support'being between the tips of the bobbins and the warp; a transferrer to transfer the weft carriers one by one from said magazine to the working shuttle; and a thread placer adapted to carry the thread of a transferred weft carrier to the shuttle.

10. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain-filled weft. carriers, said magazine holding the butts of the weft carriers on its one side with the tips of the weft carriers extending toward the warp; and a 1'0- tatable support rotating with said magazine and having weft end holders for the weft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine,

said support being between the tips of the bobbins and the warp.

11. A weft replenishing loom having,'in combination, a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled weft carriers, said magazine holding the weft carriers with their tips extending toward the warp; and a rotatable support having weft end holders for the "oft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine, said support being between the tips of the bobbins and the warp.

12. A weft replenishing loom having a ro tatable magazine holding spare weft carriers upon which weft is wound with their tips extending toward the warp.

13. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a. rotatable magazine ,alapted to contain filled weft carriers; a rotatable supiort having weft end holders for theweft ends of the weft carriers in the magazine; a transfcrrer to transfer the weft carriers one by one from said magazine to the working shuttle; and a thread placer and finger movable with said transferrer and normally located above the weft end extending from the lowermost weft carrier in the magazine and between the said disk and support, said thread placer being adapted to enter the chamber in the shuttle between the weft carrier therein and the threading end of the shuttle when said shuttle is at the replenishing side of the loom, and said thread finger being adapted to descend above the shuttle and to hold the weft end between the eye and the neighboring tip of the shuttle.

i l. A Weft replenishing loom having, in

cemhination a rotatable magazine adapted to contain filled Wer carriers; a rotatable end holders for the re wet-t carriers in the 1nagato transfer the Weft car; b t on on; said magazine to the working shuttle; and a thread placer and finger normaliy located above the Weft end extending from the lo-Werinhst Weft car'- rier in the magazine and between the said disk and support said thread placer being adapted to enter the chamber in the shuttle between the weft carrier therein. and the threading end of the shuttle when said shutis at the replenishing side of the loom, and said thread finger'being adapted to descend above the shuttle and to hold the Weft end dewnwardly between the eye and neightip of the slmttle. i

15. A Weft replenishing loom having, in eomhine'ion, a. magazine adapted to contain t carriers; Weft end holders for the Wei ends of the Weft carriers in the mag asine; a transferrer to transfer the Weft carriers one by one from said magazine to the Working shuttle; and a threadplacer and finger, piaeer being adapted to enter the chamber in the shuttle between the Weft carrier therein and the threadingend of the kettle when said shuttie is at the replenishing side of the loom, and said thread fin ger being adapted to descend above the shutthe and to hold the weft end between the eye and the neighboring tip of the shuttle.

16. A. Weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a magazine adapted to contain filled Weft carriers With their tips extending toward the Warp; Weft end holders for the Vs eft ends of the Weft carriers in the megazine; a transferrer to transfer the Weft carriers one by one from said magazine to'the working shuttle; and a thread placer between the tips of the Weft carriers and the Warp adapted to enter the Weft carrier chamher in the shuttle between the Weft carrier therein and the threading instrumentalities of the shuttle When said shuttle is at there plenishing side of he loom.

17. A. Weft replenishing looni having, in combination a thread holding support with sockets; a disk secured to said support and having arms, one of which overhangs each socket; a presser between each of said sockets and arms; and a spring seating in each of said sockets and holding the corresponding 'presser against its overhanglng arm.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ALON Z10 E. RHOADES. 

